StateRates

Lincoln salaries

The median worker in the Lincoln, NE metro area earned $48,860 a year in 2024, about $23.49 an hour. That ranks #107 of the 391 metro areas published here, 1.3% below the national median.

Nebraska

Median pay $48,860 $23.49 per hour
Vs national -1.3% U.S. $49,500
Workers 180,880 wage and salary
Metro rank #107 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Lincoln pays 1.8% more than Nebraska as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders 4.49× 670 $43,770
Advertising Sales Agents 4.46× 510 $83,830
Compliance Officers 3.06× 1,430 $67,950
Amusement and Recreation Attendants 3.04× 1,320 $25,610
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers 2.98× 720 $48,760
Childcare Workers 2.64× 1,610 $28,470
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant 2.35× 750 $30,390
Correctional Officers and Jailers 2.33× 1,000 $64,270
Self-Enrichment Teachers 2.3× 830 $34,080
Chief Executives 2.28× 570 $204,570
Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks 2.28× 610 $43,410
Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers 1.99× 610 $37,200

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Lincoln
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Chief Executives $204,570 $98.35 570
Pharmacists $132,700 $63.80 390
Architectural and Engineering Managers $132,470 $63.69 340
Financial Managers $127,280 $61.19 920
Computer and Information Systems Managers $126,500 $60.82 1,050
Sales Managers $123,600 $59.42 500
Physician Assistants $122,720 $59.00 240
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $121,190 n/a 210
Nurse Practitioners $120,600 $57.98 330
Managers, All Other $111,050 $53.39 640
Human Resources Managers $108,850 $52.33 290
Computer Network Architects $107,400 $51.64 240
Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary $106,130 n/a 210
Medical and Health Services Managers $103,780 $49.90 630
Industrial Production Managers $102,600 $49.33 430
Software Developers $102,340 $49.20 1,670
Electrical Engineers $98,900 $47.55 240
Lawyers $98,720 $47.46 850
Facilities Managers $98,470 $47.34 260
Marketing Managers $97,920 $47.08 380
Administrative Services Managers $97,460 $46.85 520
Physical Therapists $96,280 $46.29 460
Construction Managers $96,140 $46.22 650
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $92,890 $44.66 4,700
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $92,610 $44.52 500
Occupational Therapists $91,560 $44.02 280
Speech-Language Pathologists $91,400 $43.94 200
Data Scientists $89,160 $42.87 370
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $88,300 $42.45 320
General and Operations Managers $86,880 $41.77 3,970
Civil Engineers $86,540 $41.60 470
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $85,660 $41.18 400
Dental Hygienists $85,390 $41.06 330
Registered Nurses $84,460 $40.61 4,190
Advertising Sales Agents $83,830 $40.30 510
Computer Occupations, All Other $83,700 $40.24 530
Business Teachers, Postsecondary $82,900 n/a 240
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $82,850 n/a 320
Computer Programmers $82,680 $39.75 380
Project Management Specialists $81,680 $39.27 570
Industrial Engineers $81,570 $39.22 380
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $80,460 $38.68 410
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary $77,960 n/a 360
Computer Systems Analysts $77,850 $37.43 540
Loan Officers $76,960 $37.00 350
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $76,560 $36.81 1,010
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents $76,250 $36.66 350
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products $76,050 $36.56 250
Management Analysts $75,940 $36.51 480
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers $75,670 $36.38 400
Insurance Underwriters $75,610 $36.35 280
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators $73,660 $35.42 640
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $72,780 $34.99 700
Business Operations Specialists, All Other $72,550 $34.88 500
Personal Financial Advisors $71,990 $34.61 370
Cost Estimators $71,340 $34.30 280
Social and Community Service Managers $70,290 $33.79 320
Instructional Coordinators $69,580 $33.45 380
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $69,520 $33.42 1,170
Web and Digital Interface Designers $69,110 $33.23 220

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Lincoln by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Fast Food and Counter Workers 5,450 $29,340 $14.11
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 4,700 $92,890 $44.66
Registered Nurses 4,190 $84,460 $40.61
Retail Salespersons 4,050 $29,800 $14.33
General and Operations Managers 3,970 $86,880 $41.77
Cashiers 3,420 $29,640 $14.25
Customer Service Representatives 2,920 $38,130 $18.33
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 2,870 $44,990 $21.63
Nursing Assistants 2,810 $37,750 $18.15
Stockers and Order Fillers 2,720 $35,920 $17.27
Waiters and Waitresses 2,430 $36,050 $17.33
Office Clerks, General 2,280 $37,170 $17.87
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 2,160 $34,040 $16.37
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 2,120 $39,760 $19.12
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 2,070 $33,280 $16.00
Accountants and Auditors 2,050 $64,720 $31.12
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 2,000 $47,560 $22.87
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 1,820 $60,970 $29.31
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 1,680 $46,860 $22.53
Software Developers 1,670 $102,340 $49.20

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.

Other Nebraska metro areas

Lincoln pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Lincoln?

The median across all occupations is $48,860, or $23.49 an hour, covering 180,880 wage and salary workers. The mean is $60,980, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Lincoln pay more than the rest of Nebraska?

Yes. The metro median of $48,860 is 1.8% above the Nebraska median of $47,990. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.

Which jobs pay best in Lincoln?

Chief Executives ($204,570), Pharmacists ($132,700), Architectural and Engineering Managers ($132,470). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Lincoln unusually full of?

Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders, at 4.49× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.